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So, a friend of you is a real travel lunatic and you are looking for a perfect gift for him/her?
Or are you just looking for some new stuff for yourself??? 😉
Anyway, it doesn’t matter at all – here’s my ultimate list of gifts that you can give to someone who is about to leave to a world trip – or just travels all the time!
When I started my nine months trip around the world, I was going through each and every item that would go in my backpack for probably like 100 times (or at least, it felt like this!).
And being back now, I can say that I packed some stuff that I didn’t need. And I found some that I was missing because I didn’t know about. And of course there was some of it that I was damn right about to pack (yeah!
How I compiled this list of gifts for world travelers
Obviously there isn’t just that one gift for world travelers that is perfect for everyone . But I am positive that you will find something in this list that is perfect for YOUR friend (or yourself…)
When compiling this list I took great effort to always find the best price-value option for you on Amazon. I chose to only list Amazon because this is simply where I would buy myself. There is some great travel shops out there – but the trust level with Amazon is simply super high and it’s sooo convenient!
Each and every item on this list I either own myself and love it or I researched it very thoroughly. In fact, I even bought some of them for myself WHEN I was researching for more cool ideas! I always factor in price and reviews on Amazon when I chose to recommend a product I don’t own myself (yet).
To make it easier for you to find the perfect item, I sorted them in budget categories and always added the approximate price. On top, there is also a seperate category with “girly items” that I think are really cool if your friend is female!
What you will NOT find in this list
Obviously, there is already a lot of lists out there that contain gifts for world travelers. Some of them have an overlap with my list – but a lot of them also contain many items I think are not ideal!
There is so many that have a globe on it for example! I mean, yes, a globe is cool (and we have one at home as well) – but this is not something they will take on their trip.
I also have a scratch map (that I dearly love) – but again, this list is supposed to give you advice on items that your friend will actually TAKE ON THEIR TRIP.
And then there is a lot of lists that simply contain many very expensive items like Macbooks (are you serious???) – for the sake of affiliate sales. (Let’s be honest: No one who is looking for a gift for a friend reads those articles and then thinks “oh hey, a 2000$ laptop was exactly what I was looking for! Glad they had that idea!”)
I also included some more expensive items – but in this case ONLY items we took ourselves on our trip around the world. The main focus is on more affordable items though as you can easily see in the table of contents below!
Table of Contents
30+ perfect gifts for world travelers
Gifts for world travelers under 40$
Not every awesome gift for world travelers is expensive! Very often it is the little items that they will use almost every day and where they will be super grateful for having them!
Give your friend the chance to protect their valuables of water! Think of when they go to the beach and simplx can take their phone and money with them into the water (I got my bag stolen on the beach once and I was SO happy I had my money with me in the water!)
I love this drybag set because it is so waterproof that you can even completely submerge it under water! And it comes with a pouch, a bag for phones and a dry bag of various sizes (5l, 10l, 20l) – there is even a set with a drybag backpack of 35l However I would recommend getting the 5l bag and on top gift your friend a scrubba wash bag (see below). And over 1000 reviews on Amazon speak for the quality of it!
This is a no-brainer – you will need to charge your electronics all the time! And unfortunately, the world is full of different types of plugs! Another problem we had was, that often there weren’t enough power plugs in the room to charge two phones, the GoPro, the drone, the power bank,…
That’s why I think this universal travel adapter from EPICKA with four USB ports is really handy! It also saves space in your friends luggage as they don’t have to bring all the chargers but only the cables. When traveling, every millimeter in your backpack or suitcase matters 😉 Two of the USB slots are 2.4A – so they are made for fast charging (yay) – and again, this product is a top-seller on Amazon with raving reviews about the quality!
If I could only choose one single item instead of a list of 30 that I would recommend as a gift for world travelers – this would be it! I have used mine over and over on this trip and I gifted one to my sister as well when she went on backpacking trip with her boyfriend. And I will give it to more people because I think it is the most perfect gift for avid travelers at all!
The LifeStraw bottle is a bottle that can filter your water and clean it of 99,99999% of all bacteria and parasites! It doesn’t need any energy and can clean up to 4,000l (1,000 gallons) of water until you have to replace to filter.
I mean, how cool is that? Your friend won’t have to buy bottled water all the time (high five to environment) and be super safe not to catch any water-born illnesses!
The LifeStraw bottle even improves the taste of the water because it cleans it of chloride and organical chemicals that might be added. We also drank directly from small rivers when hiking up table mountain – everyone else had to carry their water.
And the company that produces the LifeStraw bottle is even a real sustainable company – so for every bottle you buy, they gift one to a poor child. That’s one year of clean water and can literally save their lives!
So go, get one for your friend. And for yourself. And your sister or brother. And your grandma. I mean, like, for everyone you love. 🙂
This sleep mask from Plemo is the exakt sleep mask I took on my trip around the world! And believe me, it gave me hours of precious sleep time – on long-distance busses, airplanes or hostels. So much better than those free ones you sometimes get from airlines!
I love this mask for the fact that is has memory foam – like those pillows! So it perfectly forms to fit your face and thus gives you total darkness without pressing against your face!
Packing cubes are one of the most discussed item when it comes to traveling around the world! They will save an avid traveler so much time though! The only thing I was sick off after nine months was packing my backpack all the time – so everything that saves frustation there is definitely worth every penny!
The packing cubes from LeanTravel are particularly cool because they have a second zipper to compress the content – so you can stuff in more than otherwise! They also have an absolute top rating on Amazon based on numerous reviews and they also look stylish!
If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, check those top rated ones:
- Mossio 7 pieces packing cubes with shoe bag
- eBags small packing cubes 3 pieces (self-repairing zipper!)
- Amazon Basics 4 pieces packing cube set
A padlock really is a small item that is often overlooked by travelers. Or especially the fact that they really want to get a good one! At one point you might stay in a hotel or be at another place (like e.g. a cenote in Mexico) where there is lockers – and then you are really happy when you have your own quality padlock!
The Masterlock Magnum is definitely high security while still being a reasonable size – and it has four digits with set your own combination (3 is generally a sign of a cheap, weak lock). You don’t one with a key as they can be lost when you are going for a swim for example. The Masterlock Magnum has an enforced body and a boron-carbide shackle – no one will easily crack this buddy!
We used our foldable cups like million times – whether we bought a wine bottle to drink in our room or for dissolving instant coffee or tea!
This set of two collapsible camping cups doesn’t take up a lot of space and comes with a lid – pretty helpful when it’s still wet and you want to put it back into your backpack – and it keeps it clean inside your bag. It’s made out of BPA free silicone, can contain 270ml of liquids and it’s FDA approved!
Sometimes you just need an extra bag when traveling – and here it comes! A mini foldable backpack – just like a magic shopper you might have in your handbag (if you are a girl). Just that it has more compartments and straps to wear it as backpack 🙂
The ZOMAKE Ultra Lightweight Packable Backpack is super small when packed and still has 20l capacity. On top, it is water resistant and comes in various colors. Over 1000 Amazon customers love it – and so will your friend!
Which is the most important item for every traveler? His or her passport of course! So this precious item needs extra protection! My cousins gave a personalized passport cover to me and my husband as a wedding gift (our world trip was our very long honeymoon) – and we absolutely love it!
I don’t know where she ordered ours – but when I searched Amazon I came across those beautiful personalizable passport covers from “With Love from Julie” and instantly fell in love! There is numerous coloring and picture options and you can also add the name of your friend! They are handcrafted and made from premium eco-friendly leather!
Sleeping on airplanes or in buses isn’t particularly fun (unless you travel with Singapore’s Suites Class) – and a good travel pillow can help ease the pain!
The Daydreamer Inflatable Travel Neck Pillow is a great option for this as it only takes up minimum space while traveling. It is inflated within 60s with a push button pump and the soft velvet cover can be maschine washed for hygiene.
Another innovative (and patented) alternative to the classic travel pillow is the TRTL Travel Pillow – it’s more like a scarf made from super-soft fleece material and has outstanding reviews! It is only 148g and is definitely super small!
Whether it is a beach vacation or a hiking trip – your friend will need a compact travel towels on his or her trip!
The Rainleaf Microfiber Towels are quick drying and very compact. They are also made of a antibacterial material and come in various colors and sizes. I also liked the small hang loop that makes it easier to dry them anywhere and the compact bag they come with.
I would suggest to buy 1-2 towels with either 30×60 inch (75x150cm) or 24×48 inch (60x120cm) – I had two of the smaller ones with me for my trip and this workedd perfectly for nine months.
Not every picture can be taken by a selfie stick!
If you want to have more flexibility where to take pictures, the Joby GripTight Gorilla Pod Stand makes it possible to take pictures of yourself without help. You can even attach it to a tree branch to capture that perfect shot!
The one from Joby is fairly cheap and has over 1,000 positive reviews on Amazon.com for its quality material and the universal compatibility to every smartphone.
Having a hammock with us while traveling was one of the best packing decisions! You can simply hang them from one palm tree to the next and celebrate your awesome vacation in it!
If you want to get a hammock, watch out to get a good one made from parachute Nylon like this Double Hammock from Wise Owls as they only take up minimum space in the backpack and are super durable. We even fit in four people at a time – and we also chilled in ours hanging IN the water (it was fixed to the outriggers of a traditional filipino catamaran boat)
Gifts for world travelers from 40$-100$
Depending on how much you want to spend, this category contains some really cool gifts for world travelers that range from 40$ to 100$ – and as before, I always wrote down the approximate price for you on Amazon.
Hands down, everyone needs a swiss army knife at one point in their journey! It’s small, comes with so many functions and the quality of the ones from Victorinox is outstanding. As long as they don’t forget not to put it in their handluggage this will last for the rest of their life.
I would opt for a rather simple version from Victorinox like the huntsman because there were essentially only a few functions that we used all the time: knife, scissors, tweezer, screwdriver and bottle opener.
So while you could get this mammoth for 8,5000$ (just kidding!) I would opt for a simple, quality swiss army knife! Oh, and this seller on Amazon even offers to engrave it for a personal touch!
Especially for low budget travelers, this item is a must!
Whenever your hotel/hostel sheets don’t really look super clean, you will be very grateful for having a sleeping liner like this silk sleeping liner/sheet from Brave Era. It’s made from pure hypoallergenic mulberry silk and gets very good reviews on Amazon.com
I chose to buy a sleeping liner made from silk because somehow the material cools you when it’s hot and warms you when it’s cold. Plus, it just feels so luxurious and is the most lightweight material for sleeping liners!
If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, try this polyester sleeping liner from Friendly Swede – it has raving reviews on Amazon.com and only costs around 20$. Of course you can’t expect the same quality as with the silk version from xxx of course! 🙂
Do you also hate those moments where you have to leave your backpack somewhere unattended? Like, because there are no lockers or similar protection?
Pacsafes Backpack and Bag Protector is the exact solution for this problem! It is a mesh that is wrapped around your backpack or bag and is then closed with a string. This string can then be attached to a pole, tree or even a bed. It comes in three sizes (55l, 85l, 120l) – 85l should fit around almost every backpack!#
We used our Pacsafe as well in some small hotel rooms when we didn’t really trust the owners. And one time, we left our backpacks at a Vietnamese bus station for over 4 hours with it! Of course the net is not a complete protection – but it already makes it so much more difficult to snatch your backpack or also, to open it and look through the inside.
Consider buying a high quality lock for it as the standard lock that comes with the Pacsafe is definitely its “weak spot”. Pacsafe Bag Protector is really small and light-weight – and it can make your trip so much more relaxed!
As already stated, I am a big fan of Pacsafe’s products for travelers!
This Passport Wallet from Pacsafe is just the right size to securely transport your passport, credit cards, boarding pass and money when you are in transit. It is RFID protected, so your cards are also save from identity theft.
The Pacsafe Passport Wallet can easily be a worn like a small bag by both men and women and it comes with a detachable strap is made from cut-safe material (Dyneema). This strap can be secured around the wrist or to the inside of a bag (or a belt!) to outsmart pickpocketers!
When you are traveling the world, you will eventually also get to regions where energy is sparse (like some remote islands we visited in the Philippines). And you will want to use your smartphone (or your drone, GoPro, etc.). So you will definitely need a good powerbank!
The FEELLE 25,000mAh Solar Charger is particularly awesome for this task! First, the capacity of 25,000mAh will let you fully charge your smartphone 7-10 times! This powerbank is also waterproof and can be charged by solar power – thumbs up for the environment! And due to the four solar panels it charges much quicker than other solar-powered powerbanks. Of course it can also be charged via a normal power plug.
Another plus with the product from FEELLE is that you can simultanously charge two devices with it – so neither your smartphone nor your GoPro needs to wait! It olso comes with overcharging protection – so nothing to worry about for your precious devices. Last but not least, this power bank also comes with a powerfull LED flashlight for the night – a real allrounder for outdoor enthusiasts!
The SteriPEN 3 Classic Water Purifier is an alternative to the LifeStraw Bottle I already presented to you.
As mentioned, I am a huge fan of LifeStraw, so the SteriPEN lost the battle for my luggage – however I didn’t want to hide its existence to you! With the SteriPEN you can purify 1l water within 90s using UV light. It destroys over 99,9% of all bacteria, viruses and protozoa that can be found in contaminated water.
The version I linked works with two AA batteries and can clean up to 150l until you need to replace the batteries. There is also a more expensive version that uses two CR123 batteries and can clean up to 8,000l (SteriPen Adventurer Opti, 85$)
I wish I came across this product before our trip and not only while doing additional research for this article!
The SCRUBBA Wash Bag is essentially a dry bag turned portable washing maschine! Yes, you read right – it is a washing maschine! I vividly remember the hours I wrenched and scrubbed underwear at hotel wash basins because we didn’t have time for a proper laundry.
And the SCRUBBA Wash Bag just makes this easier – on the interior of this dry bag, you can find small nodes that work like a washboard and help you clean your laundry within just 3mins to maschine wash quality! And it is super lightweight (142g) and can be used as a normal dry bag as well!
As mentioned, I haven’t tried SCRUBBA yet – but Amazon Reviews are very good (4 stars based on 450+ reviews) and thus I already ordered one for myself as well! 🙂
Gifts for World Travelers over 100$
So you are looking for a bigger gift for world travelers? Most of this list was containing pretty affordable smaller gifts – because this is what I would be looking for most of the time. However, there were a few more expensive items that we took on our world trip and that we absolutely loved!
We did not own a GoPro when we started our trip. It was a mistake. So we bought the brand new GoPro 6 as soon as we were in the United States and we completely fell in love with it since then!
Even though this has only been in February 2018, GoPro already released a new model – The GoPro Hero 7 Black! This action cam takes 4K UHD Videos and 12MP photos whereever you are. And if we would buy one now, we would again opt for the newest one – GoPro continously improves their cameras and the difference from the underwater videos we took with our GoPro Hero 6 compared to another divers GoPro Hero 5 were striking!
The GoPro Hero 7 Black also features voice controls (“GoPro, start recording!”) and offers livestreaming to Facebook when connected with the internet via smartphone. According to reviews, the GoPro 7 video stabilization is superior to the already very good stabilization of the GoPro Hero 6.
Both the GoPro Hero 6 and the GoPro Hero 7 are already waterproof up to 10m (33feet) – and thus you don’t need a seperate case unless you go diving! They also both have an easy to use touchscreen and an intuitive menu.
A quick note on the Black/Silver/White versions: Everything above is only true for the GoPro Hero 7 BLACK – the silver and white are budget models with much less quality/functions. Before you buy a GoPro Hero 7 Silver or White – get a GoPro Hero 6 Black or even Go Pro Hero 5 Black instead!
The latest addition to every posh travelers gadget is now a drone! And DJI completely dominates the traveler’s market – 95% of all other drone owner that we met had either a DJI Mavic Air or a DJI Spark!
We ourselves are proud owners of a DJI Spark and we can’t image traveling without a drone anymore! The pictures and videos that you can shoot are simply amazing! (If you are interested in seeing one of our drone videos from the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, check this Youtube video!)
The more common option among those two undisputed leaders is the DJI Mavic Air. It is kind of the bigger sister to the DJI Spark and comes with a 3-way gimbal (Spark has a 2-way gimbal) and a longer flight time (21min instead of 16min). It can also fly faster (48mph compared oto 31mph) and further away. And even though it is heavier, you can pack it smaller as it can fold in its arms.
As said already, we own a DJI Spark – and we still think that the price-value comparison of the DJI Spark is unbeatable. We also love the Spark feature to completely steer it with gestures (not possible with the Mavic Air). However we have heard rumours that DJI will phase out Spark and thus it might be worth investing extra in getting a DJI Mavic Air! It’s really up to you! 🙂
Since the batteries of drones generally don’t last very long you will need extra batteries to really enjoy your drone. Plus, even though you can perfectly steer your drone with your smartphone, a remote control greatly enhances the fun you will have flying your drone. It even takes away speed limitations that otherwise exist when steering with the smartphone. Thus, the best idea is to directly get a Fly More Combo (drone + 2 extra batteries + remote control) as otherwise you will pay extra (we bought batteries and a remote seperately later and painfully know the difference…)
Books are the one thing that travelers always can’t decide if they want to carry them. There is nothing better than lying on the beach and reading a good book to many of us. So an ebook reader is the perfect solution to this travelers need!
What I absolutely love about Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle Oasis are that both are waterproof (IPX8 – up to 2m and 60min)! This way you can also easily take them to the pool – or to the bathtub! Both ebook reader can also play Audible Audio Books when paired with bluetooth headphones or a bluetooth speaker. Thanks to their e-ink display, their battery last for many weeks.
Amazon’s flagship reader Kindle Oasis is a little bit bigger (7″) than the Kindle Paperwhite (6″) and comes with a superior backlight concept (12 LED + adaptive light sensor / Kindle Paperwhite: 5 LED, no sensor).
However, the Kindle Paperwhite is a very good product as well and comes at almost half the price – so this is a complicated decision! I would probably base it simply on the available budget – both offer a good price-value!
This one was actually a recommendation from my family when I asked for other ideas for gifts for world travelers!
The ExquizOn DLP Smart Projector is a super small projector for Smartphones! It is just the size of a power bank! While it might not be THE MOST IMPORTANT travel item, it is just drop-dead cool! This projector supports full HD movie play (although the resolution is a bit smaller) and really has an awesome brightness level. This way, you can turn your hotel room or even the community space of a hostel into a cinema or show your latest travel pictures (or your drone video 😉 )
It comes with a 4,500mAh battery (don’t trust the image…) – so the battery lasts for 2-3 hours before you need to charge again. The projector runs on Android 7.1 and can connect with your smartphone via Airplay (iOS) or Miracast (Android) as long as both devices are in the same WiFi.
Gifts for Girl Travelers
Those gifts here are great if your friend is a female traveler!
Whenever I ask my husband to take my credit card and some money when we go out in the evening he is slightly confused. Then he realizes that I don’t have any pockets and that sweaty money drawn from the bra (the usual female solution) is kind of disgusting.
However, there is solutions for that: The Secrets Bra Stash Pocket from Pacsafe (yes, I love them!)! This small pocket can hold cash and credit cards and is easily attached to either the front or the side of a bra! It has a moisture resistant lining – so no sweaty bills anymore!
There is also an option from Eagle Creek that is attached to the bra slightly different but also with moisture resistant lining. Check which design works better for you!
You shouldn’t bring too many valuables when traveling anyway. But how about at least some smaller fashion jewelery? You don’t want to break those either in your backpack – even if they aren’t expensive!
The Vlando Macaron Jewelery Box solves this issue conveniently. Depending on the model, it is available in different colors and comes with a small mirror. Thanks to the intelligent small compartments, necklaces don’t get tangled so easily and earrings and rings are stored separately as well.
Even though this box is really a small and inexpensive item, it has a worthy feeling and gets superior reviews on its quality on Amazon.com
I love “smart fashion” – and the Travel Infinity Scarf from Pop Fashion with a hidden pocket is exactly that!
This basic infinity scarf has a hidden zipper pocket where you could put your passport and your valuables. This way, you don’t need a money belt and your belongings are safe from pickpocketing nethertheless! I like the simple black design, because this way, it almost always matches any outfit and looks completely “insuspicious”! However there is numerous colorful options as well!
How cool would it be if you could pack 10 different pairs of sands into your small backpack?
Well, with the Sandals from Cambiani this is almost possible! Those high quality sandals come with interchangeable T-Straps – so you can modify yours shoes based on the outfit you are wearing!
They are also made from genuine leather and are super comfortable due to their memory foam sole! I have been running around in memory foam flip flops and sandals for almost the whole trip – I am now getting crazy when I have to wear “normal” soles again :D.
The standard Cambiani Sandals come with a black or a tan/nude base. There is also a base with a small wedge heel and other coloring options on their website (but unfortunately not on Amazon). As they aren’t exactly cheap, this should be your first decision! And then you choose your straps to create your perfect shoe kit – in fact, there is 150+ combinations available!
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There are some cool gifts here! I’d certainly like the GoPro 6!
we bought it during our trip around the world and we absolutely love it! We also got a skeleton case to go diving with it (as it is “only” waterproof to 10m otherwise)